Icebound
by ScarredNotBroken
Summary: Icebound: adj. surrounded, obstructed, or covered by ice. Frozen. Forged by hate and despair. There's no going back now. AU.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Short prologue is short, lol. Just an idea swimming in my head like my friend's goldfish (meaning that it won't die no matter what, lol).

Odd inspirations for this one...though that's not really uncommon for me, haha. Somewhere between the first 145 episodes of Naruto and listening to the Frozen soundtrack, this idea just kind of...popped out of nowhere... This IS NOT a crossover/parody with either one, though; it's all original (I hope no one has done something like this yet anyway; if someone has, I haven't seen it...).

Anywho, just wanted to see what kind of a reaction people would have to this, so I thought I would post it now even though I can't guarantee a quick update (though IT WILL be updated, never fear!)

**AU timeline.** I think you all will be able to see that pretty quickly... **Pairings, undecided really;** you guys can choose so leave me a comment if you have a preference (though the romance will still be minuscule if I include any at all...).

Oh, yes; and before anyone asks, 'ochibi-chan' is most definitely an insult (especially when said to a guy considering it is in addressing a small girl, lol).

Disclaimer: You would think this to be obvious, but here it is anyway. I no own. Cover image is also not mine; I apologize if it is yours; I found it using Google (probably) ages ago...

* * *

_Prologue_

"Do you really know what you are asking?" she asked, staring down into those dark, emotionless-yet-determined eyes.

The boy in front of her only nodded his head once. "I want you to teach me magic. You _can_ do it, can't you?"

She sighed. "I am capable, yes, if that's what you're asking. But there is something you should know about the nature of Ice Magic."

"Just tell me you'll teach me. I don't care about anything else."

"Ice Magic can be a very beautiful thing." She knelt down to his eye level, her voice taking on a serious edge he had never heard before. "It is very powerful because it has the potential to be extremely versatile. Anything you can imagine, you can create."

"I know that already."

She continued on as if he hadn't spoken. "But it can also be extremely dangerous, do you understand? More so than any other type. If you aren't careful, it can destroy you."

He looked away with a huff, rolling his eyes. "I don't care. Just teach me."

"Listen to me." With one finger, she tilted his chin back towards her, forcing him to meet her gaze once again. "Beware the frozen heart. If you allow your heart to freeze, that's when the very magic you use will destroy you.

"_Beware the frozen heart."_

* * *

_Eight Years Later_

"Oi! You two! Stop right this –! Are you even listening to me?" She slapped her hand into her head as she realized that the two boys were clearly ignoring her. Right as they once again aimed a fist at each other's faces, she sent up a wall of ice between the two teens, effectively throwing them in opposite directions and forcing them to pay attention to their teacher. "You two are about six years too old to still be bickering like this. It stops NOW. Am I understood?"

They both nodded mutely, knowing that if they didn't comply there would be hell to pay later.

"Seriously, what is it with the two of you?" she sighed exasperatedly. "I know you've never gotten along well, but this has gone to ridiculous extremes as of late."

"Gomen," the older of the two muttered. "But if it wasn't for ochibi-chan over there…"

The younger of the two stood to his feet, charging towards his elder. "Teme!"

She grabbed his arm and threw him back to the floor. Glaring down at him, she repeated her earlier words. "I thought I said that this stops now." She turned to the other who was silently gloating for successfully ruffling the other boy's feathers. "Don't think you're off the hook, either. I know how this goes; you're always provoking him." His grin fell.

She righted her chair that had been knocked over in the squabble and sat down, wearily rubbing her forehead for a moment before looking back up at her two young pupils. "I think perhaps it's time for the two of you to leave here and to try making it on your own." She held up a hand to quiet their protests. "I've taught you all I know and everything you need to know to be successful. I can't help you find your own form. Go to the west; join a guild." She smiled at them. "I know you both are ready. Go. Become stronger. And live your lives."

The younger boy stood back up from the floor and stalked across the room, starting to shove various objects into his pack.

The older mage finally found his voice. "Oi… What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"Packing," came the cold reply. "Don't you get it, Lyon? Our time here is over." He slung the bag over his shoulder. Bowing slightly, he spoke. "Arigatou, Sensei." He turned his back to the woman, quietly opened the door, and without another word, left the tiny cabin forever.

He didn't look back, didn't hesitate. In that instant, he broke his ties with this fellow pupil and his teacher. He did not regret it – he _would not _regret it.

It was time he followed his own way.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi guys! I'm back sooner than I expected... And it's nice and long for ya (because I don't know when to stop sometimes, lol).

Side note: Gray is NOT overpowered in this chapter; just wait. ;)

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Did I do this on the prologue? I can't remember... Either way: nope; not mine.

* * *

_Chapter One  
__Three Months Later_

Natsu paused in the middle of the busy street, turning around with a frown on his face, eyes focused on the raven haired teen that had passed by him only a moment before.

"Something wrong, Natsu?" his red-headed companion asked, stopping just ahead of him.

"Hmmm. Betsuni." He turned back to face her. "There was just… something _odd."_

"Oh?"

"Yeah. No idea what though." He shrugged. "We should get going; we'll miss our train otherwise…"

"_You're _the one who stopped," she chided playfully. "Besides, I would have thought missing the train would make you happy."

"It would. But I'd rather make the first one than sit around forever waiting for the next one. Better to just get it over with." He paused as they continued towards the station. "Ne, Erza… are you sure we can really handle this just the two of us?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Nani? No sense of adventure?"

"I just don't want to die on my first S-Class job, that's all."

"Don't be such a worrywart," she scoffed. "This barely qualifies as S-class." She turned to face him when he didn't reply. "Natsu?"

He gave a start, turning back to her. "Nani?"

"Your mind is far away. Something more important than our job right now?"

Natsu flinched; he knew how she felt about jobs. When you take one, she always said, that should be the only thing on your mind until you have completed your objective. "Just… I don't know why, but I can't stop thinking about that… that feeling…"

She stopped, crossing her arms in front of her. "What sort of feeling?"

He shrugged, looking away. After a long silent moment, he sighed. "Every person on this earth has his or her own sent, though those in the same family are so similar I can hardly tell them apart if at all. It's not like he had a sent I recognized, but it was just weird – it wasn't right somehow. That's the only way I can explain it."

Erza sighed. "Well, try not to let it bother you. You need to focus on the task at hand." At that moment, a shrill whistle sounded around them, the pair's eyes going wide. "We'd better hurry!"

* * *

Freelance work, he decided, wasn't all it was cracked up to be. As his dark eyes appraised his meager pay, he vaguely wondered how long it would last him. Food was expensive; board, even more so, and work wasn't exactly easy to find. Maybe it was time he joined a guild…

He quickly shook the thought away; he didn't want to tie himself to anyone or anything. Having ties only complicated matters, and as soon as he found a lead, he'd be gone anyway. He just needed a solid lead and enough money for a train ticket… He sighed, his thoughts once again drifting to the fact that no job he had gotten in the last two months had paid enough for him to set anything aside. More often than not, he spent he what he made on food and slept under the stars. By the time he was able to find his next job, the money from the previous job had been spent; no matter how careful he was, it still seemed to disappear far too quickly.

He stopped in front of the last building on the street, staring at the sign with a frown. _Fairy Tail. _ So this town had a guild. He was about to turn back the way he had come when a thought dawned on him. Guilds always got the best jobs. Maybe – if he were lucky – he could 'borrow' a job from their board. He sighed again; they probably wouldn't allow such a thing, but he supposed it was at least worth a shot. Asking couldn't hurt after all, and if they allowed him to take one – well, that was certainly easier.

Taking a deep breath, he walked through the gate and pushed open the door. To his surprise, there weren't many people around. A rather fat man sat in the corner painting; a brunette hardly wearing any clothing looked to be drunk already even though it was only mid-morning; two other men who were clearly older than she sat drinking with her… a few others littered the tables of the hall, a white-haired woman serving them drinks and food and tending to the bar where only one old geezer sat atop the counter. She definitely looked to be the most responsible and reliable of the lot.

"Excuse me," he spoke quietly as he approached her where she stood behind the bar, cleaning a glass.

"What can I do for you?" she replied in a sugary tone; he honestly didn't understand how anyone's voice could be so sweet.

He scratched the back of his head absently; he honestly hadn't planned what he was going to say. "This might seem like an odd question but… You see, I'm a freelance mage. Work isn't exactly easy to come by…"

"Sou desu ka. What do you think, Master?"

The young mage nearly did a double-take. That old geezer was the guild master?!

The old man opened one eye, looking him up and down. "What's your name, boy?"

He hesitated. That master might be old but he could tell the man was still insanely powerful. But he also knew he obviously didn't have a chance otherwise. "Gray."

"Well, _Gray, _if work is what you want, why not join a guild instead of trying to take the jobs posted for those who have?"

He inwardly flinched; that was the reaction he had feared. And yet, the man didn't sound condescending either, merely curious. Perhaps he still had a chance. "I'd rather not."

"Why not? No shortage of work if you do."

"That may be true, but… I have my reasons."

"Hmmmm." After a moment of silence, he closed that one appraising eye. "I apologize, but the Magic Council would have my head if I signed out a guild-posted job to a freelancer, and we have enough trouble with the idiots in the Council as it is. There is a reason jobs are posted to guilds, Gray. When a person posts a job, they know they will receive reliable and trustworthy help. I hope you understand why I cannot."

He turned back towards the doors with a shrug. "I was afraid of something like that, but I understand. Thank you anyway."

He had only taken a few steps before a familiar voice reached his ears – a voice he had thought he would never hear again.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't ochibi-chan. What? Get kicked out of your guild already?"

He knew who the person was without even having to look. "I'll have you know, Lyon," he spat, "I work freelance. I never joined a guild."

"Then why are you in mine?"

Gray clenched his hands into fists at his sides. He hated that smug tone more than anything else – well, _almost_ more than anything else. "That's really none of your business, now is it?"

"I take it you two know each other?" that sweet voice of the barmaid interrupted.

Lyon nodded. "We had the same magic teacher, though I'll never understand what Ur-sensei saw in _him._ I guess I was right to think such things – working freelance! What a joke! The only mages who don't join a guild are the ones who can't because they don't have any ability to take such high-class jobs."

"Funny you should say such a thing, Lyon," the master cut in. "Because _I _was the one trying to convince _him _to join, not the other way around. Working freelance is actually quite commendable; many who work outside of a guild take on much more difficult tasks that guilds refuse."

Gray turned in surprise. The master had both eyes open this time, staring seriously at Lyon.

"Isn't that right, Gray?" He turned his gaze to the younger mage. "You've probably taken many jobs that others refuse…"

He nodded mutely, though if he were honest the jobs he had always managed to find weren't difficult and because of that reason alone had they been rejected by guilds. But he wasn't about to tell Lyon that, especially when this master seemed so intent to help him out at least a little bit.

"Then… why are you here, Gray?" Lyon smirked at the younger mage.

"Just because freelancing is commendable," the master cut in once again, "that doesn't mean it's easy to find work. That's why I was trying to convince him to join a guild." He turned his words to Gray, though his gaze hadn't left as he had addressed Lyon. "I know you would rather not, but if you ever change your mind, you will always be welcome at Fairy Tail."

"Humph." Lyon brushed by Gray on his way to the bar, muttering as he passed, "Coward."

Before Gray even registered what he was doing, he had swung his fist into the other mage's gut. "I dare you to say that again," he hissed as his rival doubled over.

Lyon leered up at him. "If you're not a coward, then join a guild and take on _real _jobs."

"I don't have to prove _anything _to _you,_" he hissed, a dark, dangerous look passing briefly over his features before he turned and calmly left the hall.

It would appear he would yet again be spending the night under the stars.

* * *

"Lyon, are you alright?" Mira asked sweetly.

"Fine," he muttered, straightening back up. "Get me something to drink, huh?"

"Hai, hai!"

Mira waited until Lyon left to ask the master. "So what do think of him?"

Makarov opened one eye. "Who? Gray?"

"Hai."

He put down his glass. "I do believe… that there is more to that boy than meets the eye."

"What do you mean, Master?"

"You saw that look he gave Lyon, did you not? That darkness…"

"He was angry…"

"I don't think that's all there is to it. I sensed it the moment he entered the guild hall. A darkness fills his heart, Mirajane. If he is not careful, it will consume him with time."

"Is that why you tried to convince him to join?"

"…Something like that, yes."

"That's just like you, Master," Mira spoke with a smile. "Always wanting to help everyone."

Makarov frowned. "It's more than that. I also fear what could happen. He has great potential but if that potential falls into the wrong hands…"

Mira didn't need him to finish his statement; she already knew. It was always the same reason – the reason he took in anyone who sought refuge in their guild. He didn't wish to see anyone turn into what his own son had become.

He would never turn anyone away…

* * *

"Why did we have to take the train when we ended up walking half way back to Magnolia anyway?"

Erza shrugged. "Because we had to meet our client first. Stop complaining already; you'll give us away."

Natsu stopped suddenly. "I think we're already too late, Erza. Someone's fighting already; I can hear it."

Erza moved forward more quickly followed shortly by Natsu. It didn't take long before she realized he was right – a magic battle was happening ahead and to their right. Crouching down in the foliage at the cliff's edge, they peered through the leaves of the bushes upon the melee below.

Erza counted ten of the bandits already knocked out, lying on the ground in pain and incapable of fighting, or frozen in ice either entirely or at least partially to the point they could no longer fight. The remaining twenty or so bandits surrounded a single, shirtless, dark-haired mage. Beside her, Natsu started to rise back up. She grabbed his arm. "Wait. Let's just see what happens for now."

Natsu frowned. "But this is _our job!"_

"Leave it. He may have also accepted a job concerning these bandits from a different source. Besides, if he dared to take on a job like this himself, it either means he is strong enough to handle it on his own or he's accidently in over his head. If it's the latter, then eventually he'll need assistance, but personally I'd like to see how this plays out before we jump in and try to help when we aren't needed. Some mages fight better on their own and other people just get in the way."

Nodding once, Natsu crouched back down next to his partner to watch. In all honesty, he was curious too.

* * *

Gray was beginning to wonder how he had gotten himself into this mess. He was too nice, that's what it was, and he was a sucker for pretty girls who offered him a place to stay and a hot meal. The request hadn't seemed so unreasonable, and he couldn't remember when the last time he'd had a hot meal or had slept in a real bed either. But now…

Two of the bandits rushed forward, one from his left and one from his right. He honestly didn't know why they didn't just rush him all at once – they obviously weren't so smart – since they could easily overwhelm him with shear number alone, but he was glad they didn't. If they only attacked him in twos or threes then he could still manage this on his own. He bent to the ground, sending ice along it until it hit the man and froze his legs in place. The second man had reached him on his right now, and using his hands as support as they still rested on the ground, he swung his right foot up, the heel of his boot sinking into the man's throat. He grinned; that one was going to hurt for a while.

How many had he taken out now? Including the scouts he'd encountered in the forest on his way here, that last one made fifteen. How many were left? Too many.

And then it happened.

Those stupid bandits got smart.

A few of them stepped forward, quickly followed by the rest. They had only been testing him, to see what he could do. Why they had needed to use twelve people to do that, he didn't know. Maybe they had only just now figured out that it was going to take more than two people to get rid of him. Whatever the case, he knew he had to act fast.

Closing his eyes, he put his arms straight out from his sides, palms out, fingers pointed towards the heavens. A white magic circle appeared under him, wind stirring around him. "Ice Make: Soul," he muttered. As soon as he had uttered those words, the light disappeared.

The bandits never knew what had hit them.

* * *

From where Erza and Natsu were perched, they attentively watched as he took out two more bandits with ease before they all at once descended upon the mage. Natsu started to stand up again; this time Erza followed suite. When she saw the circle under him, however, she grabbed Natsu's arm again.

"Enhancement Magic?" she muttered absently.

Natsu turned to her. "Nani?"

She didn't respond for a moment, eyes focused on the battle as the bandits momentarily didn't know what to do. "Enhancement Magic. I think that might be what he just cast…"

"I've heard of it, but…"

"It can take different forms based on the mage, the most well-known being that of the Sky Dragon Healing Magic, which was lost, but shadows of it can still be found here and there among the most dedicated mages."

They quickly recovered however and began the attack anew.

Erza's eyes widened as she saw the mage lash out. Those bandits couldn't have known what had hit them, she mused.

Natsu's expression mirrored Erza's completely. Just who was this guy?

It was over in a matter of seconds. He had jumped into the air to attack, and now as he landed back on the now-frozen ground, he was facing where they stood.

Neither of them could believe their eyes. Just now, he had taken them all out with such ease; why hadn't he just done that in the first place? And even now… He must have been very confident with his abilities to have mounted such a large-scale attack the way he did.

His eyes were still closed. And, Erza assumed, he probably hadn't had them open them at all while he was attacking either. Confident was probably an understatement.

As they stood watching, still unbelieving at what they had just witnessed, the mage below began to sway on his feet. The ice in the valley was quickly dissipating – not that it mattered since none of the bandits were in any condition to do anything except lie on the ground, except that if the ice was disappearing, that meant the user was in bad shape. How? Erza mused. As far as she knew, none of those bandits had gotten even a scratch on him. Unless…that was the downfall of what he had just done. Whatever spell he had cast used too much of his magic. That was why he hadn't used it to begin with.

She moved without thinking, jumping over the bushes that had concealed them only a moment before, rocketing down to the valley below. Natsu wasted no time in following. Before they had hit the ground, they saw him sway once more before toppling over and hitting the ground with a rather inelegant thud. Erza hit the ground running and quickly reached the fallen mage. This was _not good._ After quickly checking him over, she sighed.

"He's just unconscious. No other apparent injuries. It doesn't make sense – his magic isn't even drained so much for this to happen."

"You mean to tell me that after – _whatever-the-heck-that-was _he's perfectly fine?"

She sat back on her heels with a huff. "That's _exactly_ what I'm saying. Like I said, it doesn't make sense. Anyway," she stood up with a sigh, "help me tie upall of these bandits, will you?"

Natsu crossed his arms. "Why should we? We aren't going to get paid now, after all. We didn't do anything."

"Well, he certainly can't do it, Natsu, and we can't really just leave him out here like this. Besides, it's just the right thing to do."

"Fine, fine. I'll help you."

They had no trouble finding rope in the bandits' supplies with which to tie them all up. Most of them, Erza noted, weren't even conscious. That Ice Mage had certainly done a number on them.

"Erza," Natsu spoke as the finished tying up the last of the bandits, "what guild do you suppose he's from? I mean, I didn't notice any visible mark earlier…"

"I was wondering that myself." The pair wandered back to where the unconscious mage still laid. "I think, at least for now, I should take him back to Fairy Tail while you go back and explain things to the client. Think you can handle that?"

Natsu nodded. "I just wish Happy wasn't sick; it'd be so much faster to fly back than to walk."

Erza crouched back down next to the Ice Mage. "Would you rather take him back to the guild? You wouldn't have to take the train back to Magnolia that way. And we really aren't that far from home now, anyway."

"You don't mind going all the way back?"

"Iie, betsuni."

"I'll take him back to the guild then."

Erza smiled. "That's what I figured you'd say. Just make sure Master knows what happened, ne?"

"Hai, hai," Natsu responded, hefting the mage over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I'll see you back at the guild."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I apologize, first of all, for my taking so long to update this story, but honestly, as of a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't sure I would be continuing it at all. I had finally gotten past my writer's block and gotten this chapter hashed out when the OS on my laptop decided to self-destruct. Originally I thought it was the hard drive so I thought I lost everything. Thankfully, the tech guys on my college's campus got it all fixed and I ended up not losing a thing! But if I HAD lost it, I don't think I could have rewritten this chapter. I'm not completely satisfied with it, but it gets done what it needs to get done, and I fought with it so freaking long that I really don't think I would have rewritten it if I had lost all of my files. **That being said, I still lost Microsoft Office so I have no idea when I'll actually be able to continue working on this.** I appreciate your patience as I put my computer back in order.

Happy Thanksgiving all! Have a lovely day, and enjoy the chapter!

_Previously...  
Gray is a freelance mage who meets Fairy Tail by chance one day, wandering through Magnolia after completing a job. However, after learning this is the guild that is rival, Lyon, has joined, he is completely turned off and leaves. After meeting a pretty girl, he gets himself way in over his head taking a job from her to run a gang of bandits out of the area - the same job Natsu and Erza have coincidentally taken. They happen to find him mid-battle, and see him use a spell called Ice-make: Soul that effectively takes them all out but exhausts him as well. Natsu returns to the guild with an unconscious Gray in tow. _

* * *

_Chapter Two_

"He's not part of any guild?" Natsu asked in disbelief.

Makarov nodded once. "He works freelance – came in just this morning, as a matter of fact, looking for work. I'll be interested to see how he came by that job – if, indeed, it was a job he took and not by chance that he happened upon those bandits."

"That's what he gets," the mage seated down the bar spoke with a sarcastic sigh, "for taking an S-Class job when he isn't even fit to be called a mage."

Makarov turned his head to gaze at the teen. "That's enough, Lyon. Besides, I do believe Natsu has stated that Gray took them all out on his own." He turned his head back around, his eyes closing as he lifted his drink to his lips. "That's a whole lot more than can be said of you even on a normal-ranked job."

Natsu smirked. The old man may be that way towards everyone in the guild, but it pleased him to see the Ice Mage's feathers get so ruffled. He couldn't explain it, but he really didn't like Lyon. There was just something about him that just got under his skin. He turned back to the guild master. "So what are we going to do with him?"

"Let him stay until he's recovered, I figure. He's welcome to say as long as he wants, though I doubt he will. I'd be willing to bet he'll leave as soon as his strength has returned."

As if on cue, the voice of the female barmaid could be heard coming from the upstairs of the hall accompanied by hurried footsteps. "Matte o! Onigaishimasu!"

The dark-haired mage appeared on the stairs, buttoning his shirt up as he descended. "Tch. I already told you: I'm fine. I have no reason to stay."

Makarov turned, a surprised and skeptical expression on his face. "You certainly recovered quickly, Gray."

He stopped short, one foot on the last step still. "Yeah, well, it's not like I had any life-threatening injuries. I'll be taking my leave now." He turned and started for the doors, before stopping briefly. Without turning, he spoke. "By the way, I didn't need your help – yours or the chick that was with you, Pinky. I had it under control." He stepped towards the door.

"Yeah, sure," Natsu replied sarcastically. "You had it under control. That's exactly why you collapsed."

Gray turned back, a not-so-pleasant look on his face. "As you can see, I recover quickly. I would have been fine on my own. Don't expect me to thank you."

"Yeah, and in the time it would have taken you to recover some of those bandits would have too. Ever think about that?"

"Tch." He turned back around. "I had it sorted." He smirked. "Believe me; after what I did to them, those bandits wouldn't have recovered before I did."

"What exactly was that anyway?" Natsu couldn't help but to ask; he had to admit that he was curious despite the other mage's apparently big ego. "Erza and I were trying to figure it out, but we've never seen anything like that…"

"I'd be surprised if you had since that spell is of my own making."

"That's rather impressive," Makarov cut in. "Are you sure you don't want to join, Gray? After all, you just completed an S-Class job, you know."

Gray turned back, his eyes growing wide. "S-Class job?"

"Yeah," Natsu frowned. "Taking them out was _our job_. You just happened to beat us to it."

"Gomen," Gray spoke quietly, "but that was _my job, _too. I ran into someone on my way out of town that made me an offer I couldn't refuse. That's all there is to it."

"Hmm. That person must not have known what he or she was really getting you into," Makarov mused. "Regardless, you would make this old man feel better if you would at least accept a meal – on the house, of course."

"Arigatou, but I have money. I'll be going."

"I insist. I would feel as though I am doing a disservice to my fellow mage otherwise."

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "This isn't some ploy to try to get me to join, is it?"

Makarov chuckled. "Oh, you'd know if I was really trying to do that; it'd be obvious. But work – and thus money – are difficult for you to come by, ne? Besides, I'd make the offer to any mage passing through. We've hosted Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale…a couple of others, too, I think, on more than one occasion. Mira," he turned to the woman who was still standing on the steps leading to the second floor. "What do you have back in the kitchen today?"

"I really can't…"

The master turned back to him. "What's your hurry?"

He opened his mouth to respond before clamping it shut again. After all, he really didn't have a reason beyond that it felt like charity, and he didn't want charity. That, and he didn't want to be anywhere near Lyon…

"See?" Makarov grinned. "There's no reason you can't sit down for a bite to eat before you go on your way."

Gray sighed in defeat, plopping down onto the nearest bar stool.

* * *

Gray sat staring out over the rest of the hall from his position at the bar. The last he remembered, the sky had been perfectly clear, but in the time it had taken him to come around and finish eating, a tsunami-like storm had set in effectively shutting him in the hall along with two dozen or so other mages. The red-headed mage – Erza, he remembered hearing her name – had returned just as it was beginning. It was the same red-head that walked up to him now and sat on the stool beside his.

"Bet you're glad you didn't leave now, ne?"

"Hmph. Wouldn't be the first time I've slept in the rain," he mumbled.

"Maybe so, but I can't imagine that you actually enjoyed it."

"I've gotten used to it, truth be told."

The pair fell silent as Mira brought them both something to drink, before she spoke again. "Don't you have anywhere you can go? Surely…"

"Nope." He took a swig. "Family's dead. If I do have extended family, I don't know them, and I'm not about to search for people I've never met either." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Noticing her expression, he frowned. "You don't seem terribly surprised by that."

She turned to face him fully, a wry smile on her lips. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, home of those who would otherwise be alone in the world." She turned away again, continuing when he didn't say anything. "Most of the members here don't have anywhere else to go; most of our generation has been here since we were kids. We are the ones who have nothing else. All we have is each other. But you know what? It's okay. We're all misfits, but together we make the perfect family."

"That's all very sentimental," Gray scoffed sarcastically. "Excuse me for not shedding a tear."

"You may play it off as a joke, but it's nothing short of the truth."

"Gomen." He sighed. "I don't mean to rude, but honestly I'm ticked at being stuck here. I'm not used to being tied down to one place like this, for hours on end. When you're use to moving constantly, it's hard to sit still." He paused before adding under his breath, "At least Lyon's not here though…"

Erza smirked. "So what's your story? Why do you seem to hate each other so much?"

Gray shrugged. "You know, I don't really know the answer to that. We've just never gotten along. At some point we learned how to push each other's buttons, and after that…" He gestured vaguely into the air.

"You and Natsu would get along well, then," she chuckled. "He can't stand Lyon either." She paused for a moment before turning to him, a serious expression gracing her features. "What would it take for you to join a guild?"

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Kick Lyon out, and I might consider it."

"It wouldn't have to be this one, you know. Any guild. What's stopping you?"

He turned away. "I have my reasons. Why are you so determined?"

She turned away as well, staring down at her glass, a frown further creasing her brow. "You just seem…lonely, that's all."

"Well, I'm not."

"Really? Can you honestly tell me that you've never felt lonely?"

He glanced out the window; rain was still pouring down, beating against the glass panes. "Don't have time to feel lonely. I keep myself busy; that's the only way I know how to live."

"People…aren't meant to be alone, you know. That's why we build cities, form guilds."

"Yeah, well, like I said, this is the only way I know how to live."

"It's never too late to start over, to relearn."

Gray sighed. "Why do you even care so much? I don't even know you."

"I guess I can't help it. I didn't know what loneliness was until I joined Fairy Tail. Then I knew that I had been lonely before. You say you're not lonely now, but I can practically guarantee that if you ever join a guild, you'll never go back."

"Well, I'm never joining one, so I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"

Erza sighed as she stood. "I guess not. But if you ever change your mind…"

"I know. The old man said I'd always be welcome, too."

"That's right," she turned to smile at him before walking way. "That's just the way Fairy Tail is, after all."

* * *

"Ugh. I'm really starting to hate those Fairy Tail mages. Always sticking their noses where they don't belong!"

"Patience. Just because you couldn't sink your claws into him this time doesn't mean that we won't have other opportunities in the future. I take it you saw what you want to see, though; if you had been disappointed, you wouldn't be so peeved at someone else interfering."

The woman smirked. "Oh, did I! He would fit perfectly with us, Master. I honestly don't think he even knows exactly what he is, but I could very easily change that. He would be the perfect weapon. We had better just hope he doesn't decide to join those Fairy brats."

"Patience. If he truly is what you say he is, it won't matter if he joins or not. Someone like that would never last long in a legal guild, wouldn't you say?"

"It would certainly be the perfect revenge…"

The man smirked. "Don't you worry. One way or another, I'm sure we won't be disappointed.

"Just have patience."


End file.
